


The Need For Tears

by MountainRose



Series: Perspectives [6]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Comfort, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-04
Updated: 2016-01-04
Packaged: 2018-05-11 17:30:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5635603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MountainRose/pseuds/MountainRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha finds she does know how to comfort someone after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Need For Tears

She never actually finds out what the hidden tears and blotchy face are about, and in the end, it doesn’t matter.

He’s crumpled into a ball on the floor, there’s no alcohol in sight, and she’s not sure she’d believe he’d been drinking even if there were. This is new, and it's frightening. His shoulders shudder like he’s going to be sick, but it's _ noise _ that comes out of his mouth. Inhuman– no. She corrects herself, because this is very human, this is more human than she’s ever seen. It’s too much  _ person _ all at once and his heart is in her ears and in her mind, and she’s feeling his pain like it's in her chest, too. 

He’s leaking, all over the place. Emotionally. She fumbles for a box of tissues, too, because surely he must be crying actual water, too.

But when she crouches next to him and the noise cuts off, his face is red and almost bruised, but surprisingly dry. She hands him a tissue and puts her hand on his shoulder. She’s not entirely sure if it's  _ her _ or Natalie Rushman making the gesture, but she wants to make him whole again and this is all she knows to do to help. 

He’s shaking, both hands pressing the tissue over his face, and he breathes like there’s a blockage intermittently cutting off his air;  _ gasp, gasp– _ choke.

Unsure, she gets down on the floor with him, butts their shoulders together, and more of his weight than she had been quite expecting lands on her. She knows what he wants, it's a simple gesture, and it feels very Natasha Romanov to pull him into a hug.

He breathes deep against her and the heaving of his lungs and the soft brush of air make the reflected pain fade. She twists to pull him closer more comfortingly and laying a kiss on his forehead feels natural. She strokes his hair just to get it out of the vicinity of her mouth, but the way it makes his spine loosen encourages her to keep going. Long, smooth strokes, from hairline to nape. He calms down slowly, tucked in close, and she feels his body warm up slowly under her palms.

“Hey there.” 

“Hey.” His voice is gravelly; worse than a three day bender and she knows he slept this morning.

“You alright?” 

“Will be.” 

“Okay.” 

And that’s that; he smiles, even though it shakes ‘round the edges, and she smiles back even though she’s trained not to.


End file.
